Famous Expressions in the Trojan War

开篇：润墨网以专业的文秘视角，为您筛选了一篇Famous Expressions in the Trojan War范文，如需获取更多写作素材，在线客服老师一对一协助。欢迎您的阅读与分享！

Abstract: These expressions,“Apple of discord”,“Helen”and “Achilles’heel”are still used in English today. Actually,they all have their origins in the Trojan War of Greek mythology.In order to know them well, we’d better know some related plots of the war.This paper will not only help learners know these expressions well but also introduce them an efficient way to learning vocabulary by exploring origins and backgrounds.

Key words: the Trojan WarApple of discordHelenAchilles’ heel

Introduction

One day, I was stuck in the translation of“the enemy’s Achilles’ heel was his castle defense”, because I didn’t know what “Achilles’heel”meant. I referred to the dictionary and got to know that it came from the Trojan War of Greek mythology and meant the fatal weakness. Then I traced back to the Trojan War and found other famous expressions like“Apple of discord” and “Helen” which are still used in English today. This paper will introduce the related plots and their symbolic meanings.

Apple of discord

At the wedding of Peleus and Thetis①, all the gods were invited except Eris② or Discord, the goddess of discord. Engaged at her exclusion, she threw a golden apple among the guests, with the inscription “for the fairest”.Thereupon Hera③, Athena④and Aphrodite⑤ all claimed the apple. Zeus⑥, not willing to decide such a matter, committed the decision to Paris⑦ who was the prince of Troy. In order to bias his decision, Hera promised him power and riches, Athena glory and renown in the war, and Aphrodite the fairest of women for his wife. Finally, Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite, thus making the two other goddesses his enemies, which is the most direct origin of the trojan war⑧.Thus came the expression“Apple of discord”. It is a euphemism for the core, kernel, or crux of an argument, or for a small matter that could lead to a big dispute. For instance, “she is an apple of discord wherever she appears”means that she is always the main source of dispute.

Helen

Under Aphrodite’s protection, Paris sailed to Greece and was hospitably received by Menelaus⑨, king of Sparta. In Greece, he met Helen⑩ who was the very woman whom Aphrodite had destined for Paris, the fairest of her sex. Aided by Aphrodite, Paris persuaded her to elope with him and carried her to Troy. In order to recover his wife, Menelaus called upon his allies to fight against Troy. After 10 years’ battle, Troy was destroyed. Therefore, “Helen” is used to describe a woman whose beauty is the source of a country’s destruction and the origin of troubles. Examples are as follows“People often attribute the fall of kingdom to Helen”,“fair as Helen, she has become the source of troubles”.

Achilles’heel

During the Trojan War,Achilles is the bravest one and had decisive influence on the victory of the Greece.When he was born, he was foretold to either die of old age after an uneventful life or die young in a battlefield. His mother, Thetis, to make him immortal, bathed him in the River Styx, the river that runs to the under world, making him invulnerable wherever he had touched the water. Because she had held him by the heel, it was not immersed during the bathing and thus the heel remained mortal and vulnerable to injury. In the Troy War, Paris discharged a poisoned arrow at his heel, and he died. Hence the expression “Achilles’ heel” means an isolated and fatal weakness. For example, “the shortage of fortitude is his heel of Achilles”

Conclusions

“Apple of discord”, “Helen” and “Achilles’ heel” are just parts of the famous expressions originated from the Trojan War. Others like “the Trojan Horse” which represents an invisible danger, “Hector” who is a symbol of bravery are also used in English today. Therefore, learning these expressions by exploring their origins is meaningful. On the one hand, it can help learners increase their knowledge, on the other hand, it offers learners an efficient way to learning vocabulary.

Notes

①The goddess of sea

②The goddess of discord

③The queen of the gods

④The goddess of wisdom

⑤The goddess of love and beauty

⑥The father of gods and men

⑦The prince of the Toy

⑧A war between Troy and Greece which lasted for ten years

⑨The king of Sparta

⑩The most beautiful woman in the world, the wife of Menelaus

11.The son of Thetis and the bravest soldier of Greece

Bibliography

The Iliad Homer